Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!
Now let's get started by talking about this crazy weather! The arctic blast we're finally coming out of today (and going back into on Friday) hit us with some dangerous wind chills, ice, snow, and sleet. Which means it was dangerous to venture outside without some serious planning and slowing down the pace to accommodate for conditions (especially when logging those miles by headlamp and not being able to spot black ice). And while this normally wouldn't concern me, I (like many other runners with Spring A races coming up) have a stricter than usual running schedule right now; a schedule that included completing a tempo run on Sunday. But with the slick roads and the -18 feel like condition, I knew it couldn’t happen outside as I wanted it to. So what did I do? I sucked it up and hopped on a treadmill.
Now if this has you saying, "Big deal Melissa. A lot of runners hopped on the treadmill last weekend," consider this.... I haven’t stepped foot on a treadmill in more than a decade! For real! Nor have I had the desire to! It was something I had to do when I was blessed to be a stay at home mom when my kids were little but vowed to never do again after that…opting for a recumbent bike or an elliptical workout when the weather forced me to stay inside. But with the quandary I was in, I decided to give it another shot. And let me tell you, I was so thankful that the gym was empty!! I found it extremely hard to get in a rhythm and keep the momentum going at first. It wasn't pretty to say the least but when I finally got the hang of it again, I was happy! I had renewed my like (cannot say I love it yet) of the treadmill and plan on incorporating it into my training schedule as needed. I was able to keep a solid pace to complete the run quicker than I would have outside.
But there was a downside to all this... boredom! I really had to concentrate on zoning out and later began looking at ways to rid myself of the unhappy thoughts I had while on this exercise machine so that I can throw in a long run when the weather turns bad again. My search turned up a lot of tips but I particularly liked these "6 Boredom Busters to Spice up Your Treadmill Workouts" I found and I hope you will too. Because, let's face it. The treadmill is boring!
But without further ado, here are some great tips to combat treadmill boredom (*with my two cents thrown in of course):
1. Use the incline.
Burn more calories without putting in more miles or even moving any faster. (Yep, it’s possible!). How? Just change the incline setting from “0” to “1” and move up from there. The higher you “climb,” the harder your muscles have to work.
2. Move back.
Ever feel like you’re about to accidentally punch the console? You’re too far forward on the treadmill. This can cause you to inadvertently shorten your stride, which lowers the intensity of a workout, and may even strain your neck and shoulders. So, just move back a bit. (But not too far!) Aim for the middle of the treadmill. Still able to reach the console but with plenty of room to safely swing those arms.
3. Do intervals.
Whether you’re using the interval setting on your treadmill or creating your own plan, you’ll get tons of benefits from adding high-intensity bursts to your cardio workout. You can either shift from a brisk walk to a jog or from a run to a sprint. No matter what type of interval you choose, it can be a big-time boredom buster and get your body moving in new ways.
4. Lunge instead of run.
“Walking lunges” are a top way to target leg muscles and glutes. Get on the treadmill and start slow, so you have time to complete each lunge instead of racing against the machine. You can tweak the incline for even more of a challenge.
*Try walking with some light weights for added intensity.
5. Climb mountains.
Once you get used to putting the incline into your workout, increase intensity by doing a “hill workout.” When you bring the incline way up, it causes your calf muscles to work harder and boosts your general leg muscle activation. When that happens, your glutes and abs also get involved, giving you a great full-body cardio workout.
*Slow it down a bit and lengthen your stride to work those abs, low back, hamstrings and glutes. Make a conscious effort to hold in your stomach muscles.
When you side step on a treadmill, you’ll work your hips, abs, obliques, and inner and outer thighs. You’ll also be giving your balance a major workout, so start slow and put your hand on the rail in front of you. Shuffle in a foot-to-foot motion and bend the knees to increase stability.
Changing up your treadmill workouts does more than keep boredom at bay. By challenging your muscles to pay attention and try new things, you may even see results faster.
So there you have it friends. With two more months of winter left, you might want to give the treadmill another try. With the unpredictability of the weather, this is a great plan B that can work to your advantage. It definitely doesn't compare to running outside as far as the sights and smells, but it will work in a pinch to help you nail those training runs without falling on the ice or getting frostbite. And as far as I know, nobody ever died of boredom, they just felt like they wanted to. But at the end of the day, overcoming boredom to stick with a run develops staying power in a person so that's always good. And it's a great reason to give the treadmill another try.
Happy (treadmill) Running!
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